Rama letter Lucas: We're following developments in Belarus with worry.

OSCE Chairman, Prime Minister and Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of Albania Edi Rama and Swedish Foreign Affairs Minister Ann Linde, whose country will assume the organisation's rotating presidency, reiterated an mediation proposal with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.

In this letter, a copy of which the AFP has received today from nearby sources of the Albanian government, the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe says it is closely following events in Belarus with concern.

“As current and future leaders in office of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, we are closely following developments in Belarus with concern. We want to repeat our offer to visit, hear views on the situation and discuss current challenges in the country”, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama and Swedish Minister of Foreign Affairs Ann Linde add.

“Belarus is a valued member of our organization and we are willing to manifest our support for Belarus”, they point out.

In addition, Prime Minister Edi Rama held a telephone conversation several days ago with Russian Foreign Affairs Minister Sergei Lavrov for the situation in Belarus.

“Rama and Lavrov discussed the situation in Belarus in the context of Albanian leadership proposals The SEU to contribute to dialogue between authorities and opposition”, according to a communique from the Russian Embassy in Tirana.

Rama's role as O chairman The SEU has expressed readiness to visit Minsk and hold talks with all political sides in the conflict.

Lavrov underlined it was essential that Belarusn citizens be allowed to settle their own issues.

Alexander Lukashenko is facing daily manifestations and a movement of strikes that erupted with opposition calls. The latter dismissed the results of the August 9th presidential election that won Lucasenko's victory with 80% of the vote. /Attish